Behind Jokowi's Anger About TPPI Refinery Project

President Joko Widodo, popularly known as Jokowi, regretted knowing that the PT Trans-Pacific Petrochemical Indotama (TPPI) petrochemical refinery progressed sluggishly. In fact, the Tuban, East Java-based project started when Jokowi was inaugurated as president in 2014. He had even snapped at Pertamina's President Director Nicke Widyawati for being sluggish in executing the project.

"TPPI has spent US$3.8 billion in investment but has not progressed for years. After I was inaugurated in 2014, I went straight to TPPI because I knew that it would solve many things," he said in front of the Pertamina and PLN commissioners and directors at the State Palace, Saturday.

TPPI refinery produces many petrochemical derivative products to answer Indonesia's import substitution policy; he said in the speech, also broadcast via the Presidential Secretariat's YouTube channel. The project will solve many problems since it would reduce imports to improve the trade balance and current account balance. "The last time I was there, I snapped at Pertamina's President Director Nicke Widyawati because she told me the same thing. I don't want to hear that story. I've heard it from other president directors," Jokowi said.